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DA identifies 21-year-old killed by ‘dangerous and erratic’ driver on Route 1 in Sharon

SHARON, Mass. — A 21-year-old Sharon man was killed Sunday night when a reckless driver slammed into his vehicle on Route 1 in Sharon, according to state police.

State Police say they got a call that a vehicle was operating “dangerously and erratically” on Route 1 northbound in Foxborough at 8 p.m. Sunday. At about the same time, a trooper at a work detail saw a 2020 Nissan Altima pass his location in a work zone “at an extremely high rate of speed.”

Police say the Nissan almost struck a worker who had re-entered his truck just seconds earlier. State Police say that trooper then pulled out and began to pursue the Nissan, but before the trooper could reach the speeding suspect’s vehicle he terminated the pursuit.

Police say the Nissan driver never stopped operating at excessive speed and collided with the rear of a Subaru Forrester that was northbound on Route 1 at the intersection of Old Post Road in Sharon. After striking the Subaru, the suspect vehicle crossed into the southbound lane of Route 1 where it struck a Dodge Durango.

The impact of the collision resulted in fatal injuries to the driver of the Subaru, a 21-year-old Sharon man. The District Attorney released the name of the crash victim as Kevin Earley.

”He was a great kid, just going to miss him. I don’t know what else to say, this is like a nightmare.” said his distraught mother Catherine Earley.

The family of Earley remembered the 21-year-old man as a kind and generous soul.

“He was just a great guy, best brother. Always there for everyone,” Julia Earley, Kevin’s sister, said.

In a post to Twitter, Sharon Police said Earley was the son of retired Sharon firefighter Timothy Earley, and that the Sharon Fire Department’s union is now raising money to help the Earley family with funeral costs.

On Monday both the Sharon Fire Department and the Sharon Police Department expressed their condolences online for Kevin’s family.

The operator of the Nissan was transported with non-life-threatening injuries to Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, under state police guard. 22-year-old Nicholas Snyder of Wrentham faces criminal charges including motor vehicle homicide and related offenses.

In court, a prosecutor said Snyder was driving at speeds up to 100 MPH and was weaving in and out of traffic. At Kevin’s home, a family friend said he believes responsibility for the crash lies with Snyder.

“The police officer cut off the pursuit,” Jim Golden said. “I blamed the guy that was fleeing the police. And not the police. That’s whose fault it was.”

Kevin Earley lived with his family at their Sharon home and earned money driving for Door Dash and Instacart. On Monday afternoon, Kevin’s family was not sure if he was driving for a delivery call when the fatal crash occurred.

At 21 years old, Kevin Early was the youngest member of the Sharon Historical Society. At 93 years old, the society’s oldest member, Shirley Schofield remembered what made Kevin so special.

“I think his smile, his willingness to do things,” Schofield said. “It’s just a shock.”

The driver of the Dodge Durango suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

The crash remains under investigation by Troop H of the Massachusetts State Police, the State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section, the State Police Crime Scene Services Section, and the State Police Detective Unit for Norfolk County. Sharon Police and Fire also responded and assisted. No further information is available at this time.